Railway-switch



No. 6l5,l0l. Patented Nov. 29, I898. G. A. &. T. F. PENROSE.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Application filed. Mar. 16, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sh,eBtsSheet I.

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. g Q i lllllll WITNESSES INVE T095 A TTOHNE Y8.

No. 6|5,|0|.' Patented Nov. 29, I398.

' G. A. & T. F. PENROSE.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

Application filed Mar. 16, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES 1'7 7 n4: NQRBiS PLTERS co, PNOTO-LITD-Kl, WASHING on n rNITED STATES PATENT Fine.

GEORGE ALBERT PENROSE AND THOMAS FLORISTON PENROSE, OF MEREDITH,ARKANSAS.

SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,101, dated November29, 1898.

Application filed March 16, 1898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE ALBERT PEN ROSE and THoMAs FLORISTONPENROSE, of Meredith, in the county of Woodrufi andState of Arkansas,have invented a new and Improved Railway Switch, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is a railway-switch having switch-points operated by theusual switchstand,but constructed without the usual frog, the switchhaving instead means for lifting the wheels of the car from one rail tothe other.-

This specification is the disclosure of one form of our invention, whilethe claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryperspective View of the switch-points at the stand. Fig. 3 is anenlarged plan View of the frog end of the switch. Fig. 4 is a sectionalview on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1, andFig. 7 is fragmentary section on the line 7 7 of Fig.

The main rails 8 and 9 of the track are unbroken, as shown in Fig. 1.The switch-rails 10 and 11 run into the rails 8 and 9, as shown, therail 10 having a raised wheel-lifting rail 12, which has an overhangingend 13, capable of projecting over the main rail 9, as shown in Fig. 3.Crossing diagonally between the rails 8 and 9 and forming a continuationof the rail 10 is a rail-section 14, which leads to the rail 8 and has ahinged switch-point l5, movable toward and from the rail 8. Adjacent tothe switch-point 15 a stationary guardrail 16 is arranged to engage theflange of the wheel and throw the wheel from the point 15 to the rail 8.The rail 11 has a hinged switchpoint 17, located at the outer side ofthe rail 9 and movable toward and from the same. The rail 11, as bestshown in Fig. 2, is raised above the rail 9, so as to be engaged by thetread of the wheel immediately before the truck of the car is swunglaterally by the engagement of the wheels with the switch-point 15. Theswitch-point 17 has a rigid arm 18 Serial No. 674,009. (No model.)

projecting laterally and guided in an eye 19, fixed on one of the ties.The points 15 and 17 are connected with each other by bracebars 20. Theswitch-stand 21 maybe of any desired construction and is coupled withand adapted to throw the points 15 and 17 through the medium of bars 22and 23.

The opposite end of the rail 14 terminates in a guard portion 24, which,as well as the main portion of the rail 14, is raised above the rails 8and 9, so as to permit the flanges of the wheels to pass over the rails8 and 9 in the act of switching a train. The switchpoint 15 tapers fromthe increased height of the rail 14 downward to the height of the rail8, and the switch-point 17 is shaped in the same manner. The rails 10and 11 at the switch are also raised like the rail 14, and when theswitch is passed the rails 10 and 11 are of course dropped down to thenormal height. The overhanging rail 12 is also raised to the same heightas the rails 10 and 14, so that the wheel will be permitted to rolldirectly from the one to the other.

The rail 12 is hinged by means of fixtures 24 to one of the ties, andits inward movement is limited by a stop 25, fast to one of the ties, asshown best in Fig. 3. The rail 12 is provided with a rigid arm 26,sliding in an eye 27, fast to a bed-plate 28. Pivoted to a bolt 29 aretwo links 30, each of which carries at its opposite end two eyes 30,respectively slidably receiving rods 30", in turn respectively pivotedto two guardrails 31, mounted to swing on pivots 32 at their inner oradjacent ends. Each rod 3O carries a rubber or other spring 30, which issituate between the corresponding eyes 30". Each rod 30 is also providedwith nuts 30, limiting the independent movements of the links andsprings. Such a construction provides a yielding connection between theparts 31 and 12, which compensates for the different thicknesses of theflanges of the car-wheels passing over' the switch. Two studs 33 arerespectively made fast to adjacent ties and are arranged, respectively,at the inner sides of the guard-rails 31. Extending between each stud 33and the rail 11 is a curved rod 34. (Best shown in Fig. 7.) These rods34 are passed loosely through the guard-rails 31, and

each of the guard-rails 31 carries a housing 35, in which is placed arubber or other expansive block 36. As shown in Fig. '7, each rod 34:has a washer 31 bearing against its spring 36 to confine the same. Theseblocks 36 normally press the guard-rails 31 to the positions shown inFig. 1, and when the flange of the wheel rolling on the rail 11 engagesthe guard-rails 31 the guard-rails are moved to swing inward,compressing the block 36, as shown in Fig. 7. This movement of eitherone of the guard-rails 31 causes the overhanging rail 12 to swing inwardto the position shown in Fig. 3, which is to overhang the rail 9. Itwill thus be seen that the rail 12 is thrown to the position shown inFig. 3 whenever a truck passes over the rail 11 irrespective of thedirection in which the truck is going, since if the truck approachesfrom one side one guard-rail acts and if the truck approaches from theother side the other guardrail acts.

It will thus be seen that our invention provides a switch that has nofrogs. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1 a train passingover the tracks will be caused to take the switch by the action of thepoints 15 and 17, the one serving to slide the train laterally towardthe switch and the other serving to lift the corresponding wheels upfrom the rail 9 and onto the rail 11. As the train proceeds to the otherportion of the switch the wheels strike the near guard-rail 31 and throwthe same inward to permit the flanges of the wheels to pass. At the sametime the overhanging rail 12 is thrown inward to the position shown inFig. 3, so that the corresponding wheels may roll from the rail 14 tothe rail 12. This portion of the switch is entirely automatic in itsaction. Should a train be passing from the switch onto the main rails,the action of the parts 31 and 12 is the same as that described, exceptthat the movements are produced by the opposite guard-rail 31. The trainpasses over the points 15 and 1.7, and such points being adjusted as inFig. 1. cause the train to be rolled readily onto the rails S and 9.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. In a railway-switch, the combination withthe main and switch rails, of a swinging wheel-lifting rail forming acontinuation of one of the switch-rails and overhanging the adjacentmain rail, two guard-rails mounted to swing on independent axes andlocated adjacent to the remaining switch-rail, two rods attached to saidremaining switch-rail and passed loosely through the respectiveguardrails, springs respectively bearing between each rod and thecoacting guard-rail, and connections between the guard-rails and thewheel-lifting rail, such connections consisting each in two slidingsections with a spring interposed between them.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination with the main and switch rails,of a wheellifting rail forming a continuation of one of the switch-railsand overhanging the adjacent main rails, two guard-rails mounted toswing on independent pivots adjacent to the remainin g switch-rail, tworods projecting inwardly from said rel'naining switch-rail andrespectively fitted in the guard-rails, a rigid stud to which each rodis attached, a housing attached to each guard-rail and surrounding therods, a spring inclosed by each housing and pressing between theadjacent guard-rail and stud, and connections between the wheelliftingrail and the guard-rails, each connection consisting in twoslidably-connected sections with a spring interposed between them.

3. The combination with the main and switch rails of a swingingwheel-lifting rail forming a continuation of one of the switchrails andoverhanging the adjacent main rail, two guard-rails mounted to swing onindependent axes adjacent to the wheel-lifting rail, and a connectionattached to each wheellifting rail, the connections converging towardeach other and extending to a common point on the wheel-lifting rail atwhich point the connections are pivoted to the wheel-lifting railwhereby to transmit movement directly to the wheel-lifting rail.

GEORGE ALBERT PENROSE. THOMAS FLORISTON lENROSIl.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM S. HUNT, SILvnsTER O. HUNT.

